Celebrity Update

NAMES & FACES

March 29, 1997

Martin Lawrence is in trouble again. The comedian was arrested early Friday after he allegedly punched a man who bumped into him while dancing at a Hollywood restaurant-bar, police said. Lawrence - star of the movies You So Crazy and Bad Boys and television's Martin - was booked for investigation of misdemeanor battery and freed on bail. In July, Lawrence was arrested at Burbank Airport after police found a loaded handgun in his suitcase. He was hospitalized last May after he was found screaming in the middle of a Los Angeles intersection.

Shue: Lots of script problems meant lots of time with Kilmer

Elisabeth Shue has an explanation for stories suggesting she had an on-the-set affair with her The Saint co-star Val Kilmer. She says it was script problems. Shue, who's married to filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, says when she and Kilmer weren't on the set, they were working on the script.

Garth invites New Yorkers to kick up their heels in park

Manhattan is not exactly cowboy country, but that doesn't bother Garth Brooks. The country singer says he will give a free concert in Central Park on Aug. 7. ''It seems to be a cool thing to do,'' Brooks said. The park has been the site of other concerts by the likes of Paul Simon, Diana Ross and Luciano Pavarotti. Simon drew 600,000 to his 1991 performance. Officials expect at least that many for Brooks.

'Titanic' twist: Preview goes down because ship won't

For once, the Titanic really was unsinkable. The musical production Titanic, based on the epic ocean liner disaster of 1912, had to cancel its preview Thursday night on Broadway because the ship wouldn't sink. The Titanic's running into an iceberg and sinking onstage are among the planned special effects of the multimillion-dollar production. Opening night is scheduled for April 10.